Outdoor Retailer - April 2021 - 7

" WE'RE TRYING AS AN INDUSTRY TO BRING IN
MORE PEOPLE AND BE MORE INCLUSIVE, AND
WE'RE MAKING IT MORE EXCLUSIVE WITH THESE
TYPES OF THINGS THAT HIT US. " - KAY MARTIN, BOCO GEAR
to make their cases. One of the industry's talking points has been the fact that many items
cannot be made at all elsewhere or in the same
quality as they are in China. " They couldn't
just pick up a supply chain and move it within
days or weeks, " Harper says.
Harper also has two other pieces of trade
legislation on his radar. The Generalized
System of Preferences (GSP), which promotes
economic development by eliminating duties on thousands of products imported from
designated countries and territories, expired
at the end of 2020. Renewal is expected, but,
nonetheless, it's a priority of OIA. The GSP
was last renewed in March 2018.
The Miscellaneous Tariff Bills also relate to

the industry because they would provide duty
relief to manufacturers in various categories,
including active footwear. In some cases, duties are completely suspended, and in other
cases, they're reduced.
The collective impact of these tariffs on
the outdoor industry is worth billions, and
OIA, member companies, and other outdoor
brands are eager to remind the Biden administration of the immense and detrimental impact, especially as they dig out of a mountain
of other hardships.
" There are so many other issues that members are facing, obviously responding to the
pandemic, " Harper says. " The members paying tariffs certainly haven't forgotten. "

FOLLOW THE FOOTPRINTS

A Swedish brand ups the standard for sustainable performance footwear.

Courtesy POC, courtesy Jiminy's

Starting this month, Swedish footwear manufacturer Icebug (icebug.com) is launching a radical
performance-footwear transparency program: Follow the Footprints. Consumers can scan a QR
code or link to access TrusTrace, which allows them to view sustainability indicators for Icebug
styles. Product footprint, Product journey, and key features tabs reveal the shoe's CO2 footprint,
percentage biomass, percentage recycled, as well as what Bluesign, FSC, GRS, and other certified materials the shoe uses. Footprints also details any CO2-saving processes used in making
the shoe, like solution dying and Dri-tan, as well as where it was made. " We want to invest in initiatives that can have real impact mitigating climate change, " said Icebug CEO and co-founder David
Ekelund. " This is just one more step. "
The first product to go live is Outrun, which might be the most sustainable trail running shoe commercially available. Icebug is the first climate-positive outdoor footwear brand and the first outdoor
footwear brand that's a member of 1% for the Planet. It's now also the first outdoor brand to publish
its climate footprint in combination with supplier traceability for all styles. -Berne Broudy

DOG GONE
New dog treats aim to lessen
the canine impact on climate.
There are 90 million dogs in the
U.S. They eat 36 billion pounds of
protein annually, mostly nonsustainably raised chicken and beef.

This Newfoundland-size carbon
pawprint inspired Jiminy's (jiminys.
com) to develop its cricket-based
treats. Crickets are a canine superfood with 10 essential amino acids,
omegas, B12, iron, and fiber-all
the stuff your dog needs to be
healthy. As a novel protein, crick-

POC's
Kortal
Race Mips

HEAD SPACE
POC's new helmet revamps Mips
design for more protection.
POC (na.pocsports.com) just raised the bar
for safety with the Kortal Race Mips ($250), a
new mountain bike helmet for aggressive trail
and enduro riders via Mips Integra's invisible
and in-molded protection. Inside the helmet,
silicone-filled pads slide on a low-friction
layer built into the helmet's EPS foam, reducing rotational forces on your brain in a crash.
The in-molded layer allows the helmet pads
to move in any direction on impact. And the
new design eliminates the uncomfortable
yellow plastic liner that was Mips' signature.
In a crash, the helmet's visor snaps off if it's
hyperextended, reducing the chance of neck
injury. Aramid bridges between the oversize
vents keep the helmet from shattering on impact. A Recco reflector helps rescuers find
you in mountainous zones. And if you're hurt
so badly you can't speak for yourself, rescuers can access your medical information and
more through a scannable chip embedded
in the helmet. It's also rattle-free and won't
ride forward, with an improved harness that
makes it the most comfortable helmet POC
has ever made. -B.B.

ets are also hypoallergenic. And
Jiminy's treats' carbon footprint and
the water used to make them are
negligible. They come moist and
crunchy, in pocket-size and larger
resealable bags for pups on the
go. Three independent testers-my
dogs-gave them a paws-up. -B.B.

April 2021/ OUTDOOR RETAILER 7

http://na.pocsports.com http://www.icebug.com https://jiminys.com/ https://jiminys.com/

Outdoor Retailer - April 2021

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